Masquerade
by KlausAddict
Summary: Caroline is forced into going to a ball in order to tame her crazy ex best friend, Elena Gilbert. But while dancing around death, she finds someone who believes her understands her more than she'd ever admit, Klaus. *oneshot*


Walking in the midst of a crowd of masked people seemed taunting, Caroline Forbes thought to herself. She had on a mask of her own, black with lace layered over the top. Her dress was a dark blue as she ghosted through the crowd.

Vampire Elena was no where to be found, Caroline soon found herself next to Stefan Salvatore. "Elena's terrorizing the village." She says in her teasing tone, "Does that give me the right to stake her?"

Stefan shoots her a glare and Caroline rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest.

"She's gone, you know that."

"Funny, I think someone said that about me a while ago." Stefan snaps back, arching an eyebrow. He sighs, "We have to save her."

"We always do." Caroline mutters.

Caroline was getting real fucking tired of Elena Gilbert. Human Elena Gilbert wasn't such a pain in her ass. When Elena wasn't trying to kill her or Bonnie and teaming up with psycho Barbie Rebekah. Each day Caroline could swear she saw the woman suffocating her with a pillow. Elena was essentially a Katherine in training.

Stefan is clad in a tux and mask also, though his sleek hair always gives him away. "Yes, we do." He finally agrees after a few moments of silence.

"Why this though? Why would Elena go to a masquerade ball?" Caroline looks around at the unsuspecting crowd of people. "Seems a bit too classy for her."

Stefan shoots a glance at her, "When did we become Team I Hate Elena?"

"When she tried to kill my mom." At the moment Caroline says this, a waiter with a tray of wine passes them. Caroline picks up a wine glass as he ghosts past her, throwing it back as it trickled down her throat. "Then she tried to kill me.. then Bonnie."

"Who's to say this is going to work anyways? Say by some miracle that Elena's emotions just flip back on. She's going to flip out, she's going to fall apart, and then you'll be stuck with a sobbing mess of a teenage girl for the rest of eternity." Caroline sighs, setting her glass on a table, "Which was exactly what Damon was trying to avoid when he told her to flip the switch."

"You're depressing tonight." Stefan says, "Any reason?"

Caroline rolls her eyes, "I'm babysitting my ex best friend and my boyfriend is running around the world from a psychopathic original. Tell me what I have to be happy about."

"Good point." It's Stefan's turn to grab a wine glass and throw it back, "I'm going to go look for Elena." He mumbles, turning around and heading for the bar. Maybe she's hiding in a whiskey bottle.

"What was that part about psychopathic original, love?"

Caroline whirls around to see a man in a mask behind her, "Klaus." She grumbles, "What are you doing here?"

"Thought a little bit of fresh air would do me some good. What about you? You don't seem like the babysitting time, partying yes, babysitting, no."

Caroline gives him a small smile, "Somehow I keep getting myself wrapped up in this 'save Elena' business."

"You want to kill her." He assesses.

Caroline's face flashes a bright red, "I-"

"You said it earlier, you want to kill her." Klaus takes a few steps closer to her, "When are you going to stop saying we're nothing alike?" Caroline takes a few steps further from him.

"I'm nothing like you." She says through gritted teeth, "I'm not a monster."

"What about those witches you killed?"

Caroline feels her heart drop, "I had to."

"Did you ever think I had to kill people? I did it to _survive_. Though I will admit, it did feel good. Tell me Caroline, did it feel good to watch all of those witches die?" Klaus steps closer to her until she's backed against a wall. "Did you enjoy watching the life fall from their faces?"

"I'm not you." She manages to breathe.

"But you will be." He says dreamily, his hand ghosting over his cheek. "It's a matter of time."

Caroline shakes her head, her blonde locks falling around her. "That isn't me. I'm not a monster."

"Who are you trying to convince, Caroline? Me or you?" Klaus asks, a satisfied glint in his eyes as he realizes he's getting into her head. He leans in until he's just a breath away.

Her breath hitches a bit, "I'm not you." She repeats for the dozenth time.

"But you will be." He repeats.

He pushes himself off the wall, stalking away with a satisfied strut in each step.

"I am not a monster." She repeats quietly to herself before stalking off in the opposite direction.

Caroline is dancing with a handsome man, politely laughing at his jokes, though Klaus's words won't stop making laps in her head. _But you will be_. His sly British tone is working it's way through her skull. She suddenly switches partners to see Damon Salvatore.

"Found her?" Caroline asks as he places his hand on her hip and gently sways with her.

"Would you care if we did?"

"Not very much." Caroline admits.

"We didn't." Damon whirls her around to face an opposite direction, "She's still here though. See those bandages on the necks of that crowd over there?" Caroline draws her eyes to the crowd to see blood soaked bandages. "Every time I blink, I swear I can see a new bandage appear."

"It's like Katherine never left, huh?" Caroline says with a hitch to her voice.

Damon sighs into her hair, "It feels like that, yeah. But we have to save her."

"By we, you mean Stefan and you. She's just going to break your heart again." Caroline lightly whispers, "It's always going to be him."

Damon clutches tighter to her, then in the softest voice Damon can manage, "I know."

"Then why do you keep going back? If you know you're just going to get hurt-"

Damon suddenly stops dancing, holding her in front of him, "Because I love her. Love makes you do stupid things, Caroline. You loved Bonnie, so you killed those witches for her. It's not the exact same thing as Elena and I, but think about how you felt in that moment." He sighs, "That's how it is all the time with Elena and I."

"I should go." Caroline says quietly, aware she's going into unguarded waters.

Damon releases her, "Me too."

They both go different ways. Caroline is about to take her first step off the dance floor only to feel herself being whisked back on. One hand on her hip, pressing hard against her skin.

Her eyes meet those of Klaus.

"Thought we were done talking." Caroline snaps at him as he coaxes her into dancing with him.

"You were, I wasn't." Klaus says, a soft grin, "Always leave them with a cliffhanger, leave them wanting more."

"Who said I wanted more?" She snaps.

Klaus smirks, leaning in close to her, only a breath away, "You're like an open book, Caroline."

"I am not." She growls, "I'm a closed book, with a lock and everything. You have no idea what I'm thinking."

"Oh but I do." He says, pulling her closer to him until the side of his face is in her hair. "You're scared, oh so very scared. You almost lost your best friend and had to kill people to do it. You're afraid of being like me, you can see those witches, can't you? In your dreams?"

Caroline swallows hard at the mention of the nightmares.

"Death haunts us all different Caroline. Those who are the darkest tend to smile the brightest."

"You don't smile." Caroline says in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Maybe you just don't see it."

Caroline rolls her eyes and he spins her in the precise moment, bringing them face to face again. Her breath hitches despite her blunt refusal.

"You're an intriguing creature." He suddenly says, dipping her until their faces are less than a centimeter apart. She's finding it difficult to breathe as he pulls her back up. "So beautiful, _so broken_." He whispers the last part with an intense burning look in his eyes.

He takes his mask off, letting it drop to the floor. He then reaches for her mask, whether it was out of fear or whatever emotion it could be, she let him take her mask off.

"There's my Caroline."

Caroline feels her heart leap at the possessiveness of his words. He brushes her hair away from her face, then he brushes his lips against hers softly, as if testing the waters. Caroline can feel her whole body react to him before she can form a rational thought. She feels her hands knot into his hair, pulling him - almost desperately - against her.

She can feel that he's surprised at her reaction to his kiss as she opens her mouth slightly.

"Get a room!" She hears one of the party goers scold the two.

They break away from each other, Caroline breathing hard.

"Sorry." She says, looking down, "I didn't know what I was doing." She tries to explain herself but finds herself at a loss for words.

Klaus props her chin up with one finger to look at him, "You did what you _wanted_ to do." Klaus says, "But now is not the time, love. Not now."

"I should go." Caroline breathes, taking a step away from him, realizing how close they were.

"You should." He agrees with her.

She can feel her heart drop at his comment, but nevertheless, she ghosts past him.

"The clock strikes midnight, Cinderella.." He says in a joking manner as she departs, "Your world will turn to pumpkins." He chuckles to himself and walks in the opposite direction.

Just a fun little one shot! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Reviews would be AWESOME. Will definitely post more one shots if you guys enjoyed this!


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